1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of light structures for manufacturing packs, panels, or any other element for absorbing impact and shock energy, sound energy, for isolating spaces from temperature, and preferably the invention relates to a process for obtaining a light structure composed of threads and microfibers, preferably employed in the ballistic field for manufacturing antitrauma ballistic jackets, armored panels and any other element for absorbing the energy of a bullet and retaining the bullet trapped into the microfiber structure, thus preventing a bullet or any other impinging objet from passing through the jacket or panel or similar element for protecting the user.
While specific reference may be made in this specification to the application of the inventive structure in the ballistic field, this structure is well applied to the temperature and sound isolation field.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known to provide synthetic fibers or threads like aramids for manufacturing ballistic jackets or armored panels for armoring cars, for example. The concept employed for manufacturing this armored products were based in providing combined woven materials and resin materials strong enough and having a high resistance so as to present a solid barrier to a projectile in order to stop the projectile against a xe2x80x9cwallxe2x80x9d formed generally by a compact panel. The projectile generally impinges against these solid materials and deform. The excessive weight of these materials causes these armored or ballistic jackets and panels to be uncomfortable for personal use and no cost effective for use in cars.
Other jackets and panels employ the above mentioned synthetic fibers forming a mat or a plurality of mats and webs or fabrics. These webs and fabrics are woven with threads forming warps and wefts thus leaving a lot of free spaces, interstices and voids, particularly in the weft-warp crossings and, while a plurality of layers of these webs are employed to manufacture a panel or jacket, any impinging object, particularly a bullet having a sharp tip, may pierce and run through the interstices in the multi layer pack.
Both, the solid or multi layer packs, panels or jackets, do not address the penetration problem by trying to form a kind of xe2x80x9cspider webxe2x80x9d to receive the projectile and retain the same into the web. The several ballistic packs neither took advantage of the rotation that a projectile is provided of when shoot from a corresponding weapon. This rotation could be used for facilitating the trapping of the bullet into the pack.
It would be therefore convenient to have a convenient and light structure to manufacture any kind of ballistic jacket, armored panel and similar elements for trapping any projectile impinging on the panel or jacket and preventing the projectile from passing through the structure. It would also desirable that the structure be useful for isolating sound and temperature.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a new method for manufacturing a light structure made of threads and microfibers, wherein the structure is based in a shapeless fiber-entangled mass capable of being shaped into any desired shape to form ballistic jackets, armored panels, temperature isolating panels or sound isolating panels. The entangled fibers, microfibers or threads in the structure are arranged in such aleatory and/or curling pattern that no voids, interstices or free spaces are provided for preventing any impinging projectile, sound wave or heat front passing through the structure.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a process and apparatus for manufacturing a microfiber structure for absorbing impact energy, sound energy and/or temperature, the structure being used in the ballistic field and in the sound and temperature isolation fields, wherein the method comprises to provide a plurality of threads consisting of microfibers, subjecting the threads to a pressurized air jet to open the threads by separating the microfibers into each thread, and entangling the threads to form a mass of loosely-entangled microfibers, with the mass being confined into a pack which may be appropriately compacted.
It is even another object of the present invention to provide a process and apparatus for manufacturing a microfiber structure for absorbing impact energy, preferably from a bullet provided with rotating movement, wherein the inventive structure is formed into a fiber-entangled structure, with the fibers forming preferably curls, thus taking advantage of the rotation of the bullet and causing the bullet to be wrapped by the fibers or curls when penetrating the structure. When wrapped by the fibers the bullet increases its mass and size and it is prevented from passing through the structure.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a process for obtaining a microfiber structure for use in absorbing at least one of impact energy, sound energy and temperature, the method comprising the steps of:
i. providing a plurality of spools containing polymeric threads, each thread consisting of microfibers;
ii. unwinding from the spools the threads and guiding the threads into a collecting-guiding means;
iii. pulling the threads from the collecting-guiding means;
iv. bringing the threads into a microfiber separating station for transversely separating the microfibers into the threads but maintaining the longitudinal continuity of the microfibers into each thread;
v. bringing the separated and spaced apart microfibers into entangling means for entangling the threads all together to form a mass of loosely-entangled microfibers;
vi. providing an outer cover all around the mass in order to confine the mass into a pack; and
vii. compacting the pack.
It is even another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for manufacturing a microfiber structure according to the method of claim 1, the apparatus comprising,
i. a support including a plurality of spools containing polymeric threads, each thread consisting of microfibers;
ii. pulling means for pulling and unwinding the threads from the spools;
iii. collecting-guiding means for collecting the threads from the spools and guiding the threads into the pulling means;
iv. a microfiber separating station for transversely separating the microfibers into each thread and maintaining the longitudinal continuity of the microfibers into each thread; and
v. entangling means for receiving the threads with their microfibers separated in the separating station and for entangling all the threads together to form a mass comprising loosely-entangled microfibers.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a process for obtaining a microfiber structure for use in absorbing at least one of impact energy, sound energy and thermal energy, the method comprising the steps of:
i. providing a plurality of spools containing polymeric threads, each thread consisting of microfibers;
ii. unwinding from the spools the threads and guiding the threads into a collecting-guiding means;
iii. pulling the threads from the collecting-guiding means;
iv. bringing the threads into a microfiber separating station for transversely separating the microfibers into the threads but maintaining the longitudinal continuity of the microfibers into each thread;
v. bringing the separated and spaced apart microfibers into entangling means for entangling the threads all together to form a mass of loosely-entangled microfibers; and
vi. wrapping longitudinal portions of the mass around a core support to form a pack.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be better understood when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and description.